In the current implementation of K‐12 education, computational thinking is considered an important part of developing students' key abilities. Many studies have shown that computational thinking can be improved by programming, for example, using Scratch, App Inventor, and Python. However, different programming tools have different forms of programming that affect the development of learners' computational thinking. This study aimed to test the effects of different programming tools with the same teaching content on learners' computational thinking and computer learning attitude in real classroom teaching. Ninety‐nine participants took part in an eight‐week teaching intervention in the Visual Basic (text‐based) and Pencil Code (block‐based) programming environments. T tests showed that students learning in a mixed text‐based and block‐based Pencil Code programming environment not only had significantly improved computational thinking but also became more self‐confident and enjoyed learning programming. Furthermore, our interviews after the eight‐week teaching intervention found that students showed more communication and interaction behaviors learning with Pencil Code.

Background: Since the outbreak of COVID-19, online courses have been extensively used from K-12 to higher education. Online learning engagement, an important factor in online learning success, is currently at a low level in high school. Meanwhile, the research on the factors that influence high school students' online learning engagement is still limited.Objectives: Based on the theories of regulatory focus and value control, this study developed a multi-mediation model to investigate whether self-efficacy and academic emotions can mediate the relationship between regulatory focus and online learning engagement.Methods: A total of 926 high school student (52.16% female, mean age = 16.47 years) were recruited to participate in this study and completed self-report measures of regulatory focus, online learning engagement, online learning self-efficacy and academic emotions. And we used SPSS macro PROCESS developed by Hayes to examine the mediating role of online learning self-efficacy and academic emotions. Results and Conclusions:The results indicated that promotion focus had a stable positive effect on online learning engagement of high school students, whereas prevention focus had a significant negative effect on the same. Self-efficacy and positive emotions had a significant positive mediating effect between promotion focus and online learning engagement. Moreover, positive emotions had a significant positive mediating effect between the prevention focus and online learning engagement, while negative emotions had a significant negative mediating effect between them.

Based on social cognitive theory and ecological systems theory, this study constructed a conditional process model to explore the relationship between academic self-efficacy and test anxiety as well as underlying psychological mechanisms through academic buoyancy and peer support. A sample of Chinese high school students ( N = 560) completed questionnaires assessing academic self-efficacy, academic buoyancy, peer support, and test anxiety. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed an indirect effect of academic self-efficacy on test anxiety through academic buoyancy. Moreover, the results of the conditional process analysis demonstrated that this indirect effect was moderated by peer support. The findings suggested that both personal positive psychological characteristics (e.g., academic buoyancy) and school environmental factors (e.g., peer support) are protective factors for test anxiety in high school students. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed.

Two studies investigated the effects of cognitive and school environmental factors on adolescents' creative performance. The first study tested the effects of expected evaluation and cognitive style on creativity among 89 high school students. The second study tested the effects of evaluation type and cognitive style on creativity among 92 high school students. Study 1 found main effects of expected evaluation and cognitive style on creativity. The interaction between expected evaluation and cognitive style was statistically significant. Under an experimental condition of expected evaluation, field‐dependent adolescents performed more creatively (i.e., higher originality) than those without expected evaluation. Study 2 uncovered main effects of expected evaluation type and cognitive style on creativity but no interactions between expected evaluation type and cognitive style. Adolescents performed better on the dimension of flexibility in a controlling evaluation condition, compared with adolescents in informational evaluation condition, and field‐independent adolescents showed more fluency and originality than field‐dependent adolescents. Together, this research provides a better understanding of the effects of expected evaluation and cognitive style on adolescents' creative performance. Implications for further research are discussed.

Background Science identity is widely regarded as a key predictor of students’ persistence in STEM fields, while the brain drain in STEM fields is an urgent issue for countries to address. Based on previous studies, it is logical to suggest that epistemological beliefs about science and reflective thinking contribute to the development of science identity. However, few empirical studies have focused on the relationship between these three variables. Therefore, using structural equation modeling, the present study constructed a model to explore the relationship between epistemological beliefs, reflective thinking, three science identity shaping constructs (interest, competence/performance beliefs, external recognition), and the holistic impression on science identity (a single indicator). Results The results indicated that the epistemological beliefs were positively correlated with interest and reflective thinking, as well as the direct effects of reflective thinking on interest or competence/performance beliefs were significant. In terms of indirect effect, interest plays a mediating role in the relationship between epistemological beliefs and holistic impression on science identity, while the mediation effect of competence/performance beliefs was not significant. Epistemological beliefs contributed to the holistic impression on science identity via reflective thinking, competence/performance beliefs, and interest or external recognition. Conclusion The results of this study reveal that epistemological beliefs and reflective thinking have a direct effect on science identity. In addition, epistemological beliefs have an indirect effect on scientific identity through reflective thinking. These provide insights for educators to figure out how to develop students’ science identity by enhancing their epistemological beliefs and reflective thinking. Practical educational implications are also further discussed in the present study.